The Man in the Yellow Hat
by Trizzy
Summary: Cute little oneshot with a title that has NOTHING to do with the story. My friend gave me the title, so blame him. My first Four Brothers fic.


Lauren sat on the couch in the Mercer living room. Bobby sat facing her on the couch, intently focused on their game of Bloody Knuckles. Jack sat in the armchair, scribbling notes in his composition book. Lauren and Bobby's outbursts of profanity were the only things that fazed him, as he would look up and tell them off. From the kitchen, Evelyn would shout at them to watch their language, but none of them heard. If they did, they weren't listening. Finally, she marched out of the kitchen, drying her hands on a dish towel and biffed all three of them with the very same towel.

"Enough with the profanity. Jack, if their game distracts you, go upstairs. You two, if you can't play the game without swearing then go outside," she scolded, a hint of a smirk on her stern face.

"Oh that's alright Miss. Evelyn. I was just about to head off to work," Lauren stated, rising from the couch.

Jack was instantly on his feet. "I'll walk you Lauren."

"That's alright Jack. I think I'll make it on my own," she protested.

"Fuck that. I'm walking with you," he demanded.

"Jack!" Evelyn gasped, biffing him again. "Watch your language."

"Sorry ma."

Bobby laughed, now sprawled on the couch. "You need your mouth rinsed out with soap ya little fairy."

"That's enough Bobby. Lauren, let Jack walk you to work. It would be a shame for something to…" She was cut off by the phone. "Wait here."

Jack wiggled his eyebrows. "I win Razz."

"Stop calling me that. I don't even know why you do anyway," she sighed.

"Because Raspberry is too long and no where near as cute," he replied.

"You're sick in the head, do you know that?" she asked.

"It's been mentioned to me before." She stuck her tongue out and he pinched it between his thumb and index finger. "Didn't anyone teach you manners girl?"

Evelyn returned to the bickering pair and clapped her hands. Jack released her tongue. "Enough! Lauren you can't go to work tonight."

"But I…" She stopped her protest when she saw the sadness in Evelyn's eyes. "Miss Evelyn?"

"That was the hospital Lauren. Your grandmother just passed," she whispered.

"What? That's-but she wasn't even sick!" Lauren cried out.

"It was a brain aneurism. Honey I am so sorry."

Jack pulled her into a hug. "Oh Razz I…"

She pushed him away. "STOP FUCKING CALLING ME RAZZ!"

Without another word, she turned and bolted from the house. Lauren had no one left. Her parents died when she was just a little girl and now her grandmother had left her. She ran to the park, the place she had first encountered the Mercer clan. It wasn't much of a park these days though; the sandbox was overgrown with weeds and the chains of the swings were rusted with years of neglect. The jungle gym was overrun with half a decade of uncut grass and litter. The park was an eyesore, but it was chock full of memories. She took one step into the waist high grass and was attacked by visions of the past.

_Twelve year old Lauren sat in the sandbox, her favourite Barbie doll sitting dutifully next to her. She hummed a song to herself as she dug deep into the cold sand with her plastic blue shovel. A boy with bright blue eyes and dirty blonde hair strolled over to the sandbox, mischief etched onto every feature of his face. He sat on the edge of the sandbox, watching her dig. Lauren stopped humming and digging, and looked up at him._

"_Who are you?" she asked._

"_I'm Jack. Aren't you a little old to be playing with Barbie dolls and plastic shovels?" he questioned._

"_You're never too old to have fun," she countered, with wisdom beyond her years._

"_Well I stopped playing with dolls four years ago," he boasted._

"_You must be really boring then," she observed. "But aren't you a little manly to be playing with dolls at all?"_

_The two heard laughter. "Schooled by a little girl Jackie. Come on you little fairy. We gotta head home."_

_Lauren looked up at the man behind Jack. "Who are you?"_

"_Bobby Mercer. This is my little brother Jack," he replied._

"_I don't like him," she stated, a sugary sweet smile on her face._

_Jack frowned. "You don't even know me. How can you say you don't like me?"_

_She shrugged. "I just…don't. You seem like you're up to something Jack Mercer."_

"_Intuitive girl," Bobby chuckled._

_Jack scowled. "I didn't know you could use words over four letters long Bobby."_

_Bobby smacked him in the back of the head. "Shut up fairy. I'm smarter than people think. Now let's go home. Ma made spaghetti."_

"_Fine. I'm not in good company anyway," Jack mumbled. "What's your name?"_

"_Lauren Jansmen."_

"_Well Lauren, it was definitely NOT a pleasure to meet you, but how come I haven't seen you at school?"_

"_I go to an all girls school about half an hour from here."_

"_Do you wear a uniform?"_

_She nodded. "Keeps all us loners and social fuck ups on the same plane as everyone else."_

_Bobby's mouth dropped open. "You can't say the 'F' word! You're just a kid."_

_Jack snickered. "Maybe she'd got a fouler mouth than you Bobby."_

"_Seriously kid. Do you talk like that around your parents?" he demanded._

"_Nope because my parents are dead. Have been for years," she replied, filling in the hole she'd dug._

"_Oh shit kid I'm sorry," Bobby sighed, running his fingers through his hair._

_Lauren looked up at him, knowing he meant it. "I'd rather have them die than not want me at all."_

"_You should…do you come to this park a lot?" Jack asked._

"_I don't want your pity or your company Jack," she replied with a shrug. "I'm just not there yet."_

"_Not where?" Jack asked, watching her stand._

_She picked up her Barbie. "There. But I will be. One day. I know you'll be waiting when I arrive."_

_Bobby shook his head, marveling at the knowledge she displayed. "We'll see you real soon Lauren. Take care of yourself."_

"_You too Bobby. Bye Jack!" she called out as she skipped off._

Lauren dropped onto the edge of the sandbox. Tears rolled down her flushed cheeks as she dug the toe of her shoe into the sand. She hadn't liked Jack for most of their childhood, but that hadn't stopped him from perching at the edge of the sandbox every Thursday and watching her dig. Most days he'd sit in silence, just watching, and on rare occasions, he'd speak to her. Mostly about mundane things like school. He did that for two years until they started at the same high school. Then, he'd sit at the end of her table in the cafeteria, quietly eating the lunch Evelyn made him. After two years had passed, he had crossed his boundary by stepping in when a group of guys had her pinned to a locker. The act spoke volumes to both of them. That day, Jack had finally realized what she'd meant that first day in the park. He'd waited for four years and she had finally showed up.

"Do you remember that first day?" a voice asked from behind her.

She turned and saw Jack. "I was just thinking about that."

"Is this seat taken?" he asked, tapping the seat in the corner.

"I was saving it for someone special," she replied. "And he just showed up."

"You're too kind. I can't believe it's been six years," he whispered, sitting down.

"I couldn't stand you," she chuckled.

"And I couldn't get enough of you," he smirked.

"What a winning pair we were. I can just imagine what Bobby thought of us," she sighed.

He reached over and took her hand. "We still are a winning pair, Lauren. We've just changed our style of victory."

She wrinkled her nose. "You're so cheesy Jack Mercer."

"Only when the time is right. You know I love you, Lauren," he stated.

"I know you do. I'm just not there yet," she said, squeezing his hand in hers.

He smiled. "I'll be waiting."


End file.
